This invention was the subject matter of Disclosure Document Program Registration No. 494,268 filed on May 25, 2001.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of hydraulic classifiers in general and in particular to a lightweight, portable, collapsible hydraulic classifier specifically designed for recreational gold miners and small mine operators.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,375,491; 4,592,833; 5,785,182; and, 4,319,985, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse sluice boxes and gold concentrators.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical adjustable height, lightweight, portable, collapsible hydraulic classifier that may quickly and easily be transported, erected, collapsed and removed from a number of promising locations on a placer stream that could conceivably contain gold particles, nuggets, flakes, etc.
As most recreational miners are all too well aware, one of the greatest challenges in pursuing their hobby is the difficulty encountered in transporting an efficient hydraulic classifier to and from a promising location on a stream bed.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among recreational miners for a new and improved portable hydraulic classifier that will overcome all of the shortcomings of the prior art classifier arrangements; and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the portable hydraulic classifier that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a lower sluice unit, an upper sluice unit, an adjustable, collapsible support unit and a hydraulic supply unit wherein the upper sluice unit is hingedly connected to the lower sluice unit, the support unit is capable of varying the angular inclination of the upper sluice unit relative to the lower sluice unit and the hydraulic supply unit delivers flowing water to both the upper and lower sluice units.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specifictiton, the lower sluice unit includes a lower sluice framework member having a downwardly angled floor panel provided with a riffle array including a plurality of rearwardly angled riffle plates and a vertical collector plate having a forwardly extending lip wherein the riffle array extends between the raised sidewalls of the upper sluice framework member.
The upper sluice unit includes an upper sluice framework member having raised sidewalls connected to a downwardly angled floor panel equipped with an enlarged rectangular opening covered by a plurality of closely spaced classifier rods and disposed adjacent the hinged open front of the upper sluice framework member.
In addition, the support unit includes a pair of different height support leg assemblies pivotally attached to the lower sluice framework member and most importantly a pair of adjustable support arms operatively associated with the rear portions of the upper and lower sluice framework members and adapted to vary the angular orientation of the upper sluice framework member relative to the lower sluice framework member.